Wildlife in a Suburban Garden

Robin-Erithacus rubecula

The European Robin, as I have said before is a well loved and very common bird, known to everyone in the UK. They are extremely inquisitive and apparently intelligent and are always quick to exploit any feeding opportunity. They are common birds  and almost every garden, everywhere in the UK will contain a Robin, and often more than one. However, they are extremely territorial but in the winter can at times have small territories which will allow for more than one individual in quite a small area. 

Today with a dullish, wet and frankly dreary day, it didn't appear that there was going to be any chance to get out with the camera. After lunch it did brighten just a little and I noticed that the mealworms that I had been putting out to attract the Robins had disappeared. I re-supplied with fresh mealworms and within minutes we had a visit to take the free offerings. I image that he/she had been observing me all along and as soon as I moved a few feet away, down he came giving me the chance to get some nice well framed and composed portraits of my wife Jenny's favourite bird. 

Some interesting facts about the European Robin. 

1. Robin means "flame bright" and rubecula is derived from the latin and means red. 

2. They are sexually monomorphic, that is males and females are identical in plumage. Young birds are brown with a spotted breast. 

3. The average life expectancy of a Robin is as short as 1.1 year, but can live to 15.

4. It is a sacred bird in Norse mythology. 

5. Ancient British mythology states that the Robin acquired it's red breast from the blood of Christ

dying on the cross. 

6. Two English Football Clubs call themselves the Robins, Bristol City and Swindon Town.

7. Shakespeare talks of teaching a Goldfinch and a Robin to sing in King Henry Fourth and Robbie 

Burns the Scotish Poet talks of the "Marriage of Robin Redbreast and the Wren".

8. Attempts to introduce Robins to to Australia and New Zealand as well as the USA failed.

9. In Wales the Robin was known as "Bron Rhyddun" who scorched his breast whilst trying to quench

the flames of hell.

10. The American Robin is in fact a Thrush and not a Robin, early English settlers named the first bird

they saw with a red breast "Robin"

11. American Robins now migrate as far north as Alaska and there is no Inuit word for Robin. Certain

proof that global warming has affected the migration and natural behaviour of wildlife.

Purple Sandpiper - Calidris maritima, Brixham Breakwater

The Purple Sandpiper ia a species that you could very easily overlook. The Rspb here describes them as visitors to any Rocky Coast but here in Devon they have been feeding on the Seaward side of the Breakwater in South Devon for several weeks. I thought it time that I went to have a look and take some photographs which I did as soon as I realised that the Met Office had got it wrong again and it wasn't in fact going to be cloudy and overcast with drizzly rain like they said, but warm and sunny...... how actually opposite can you be. while I am on this frustrating and annoying aspect of my life can I ask anyone reading this that works in meteorology or even better for the Met Office here in Exeter to come on here on my site and explain why your forecasts are so often so wrong, how hard can it be.... very hard apparently! I parked in the Marina carpark and made my way along the Breakwater and started to think that life was great and reflected that I didn't need three jumpers on and a jacket. My attention was immediately drawn to the large animal in the water to my right. I couldn't believe my luck to be so close to the local seal who usually, in my experience anyway at least keeps a respectable distance. But not today as he accompanied me on my walk, popping up just in front of me, then turning like a dog to see where I was. Then I noticed a bird on the water inside the harbour that took to the air and flew interestingly around and came in to land with a bit of a splash. This is, I am pretty sure a Kittiwake. I have to confess at being rubbish at identifying gulls. They can be really hard at times and I did at first think that this was perhaps a Common Gull but pretty sure it isn't and is in fact a Kittiwake. But now back to Purple Sandpiper It was in actual fact quite hard to get a nice shot of these very fidgety birds and they had chosen to feed in the dull side of the Breakwater which made it very hard to get a really good photo. They are a very nice bird, how often have I said that? I honestly like just about any bird that I see! But I was taken with how well suited they were being so agile and nimble and well, blending in with the subtle and muted colours of the environment that they are obviously so at ease with. This one is typical of their feeding behaviour, not being at all phased by the incoming tide. Now you know that they close their eyes for protection when they feed. While this is all going on the Seal was still keeping a eye on my like a little puppy. After this quite fascinating and really enjoyable afternoon I went on to have a look for the Cirl Buntings as posted earlier, read about that here if you haven't already. A red letter day I think you will agree.

Cirl bunting - Emberiza cirlus

The Cirl Bunting is a very rare Bunting related to the Yellow Hammer. "Cirl" is a medieval word meaning "Plump". Fortunately they have a foothold in South Devon and they are relatively easy to locate once you know where to look. They are the subject of much work by the RSPB and you can read more about their work with this species here. There is also a very interesting BBC article here.I travelled there this afternoon specifically to see if I could find a small flock and was successful. I am not sure of the present numbers but I think the population is approximately 1000 pairs or less. Males are particularly attractive with a striking facially pattern and brick red backs. The females are much duller and quite inconspicuous. The small flock of around 10 birds was feeding amongst the bushes and brambles at the edge of a stubble field which I am led to believe is the preferred winter habitat. It was hard to imagine as I watched and photographed them, just how rare they are as a British Bird existing as they do in just this one small area of Devon. As you can see they are an extremely pretty bird and very photogenic. The light was just perfect as I took theses shots the sun was low in the sky as we approached dusk and the birds were having a last feed before finding a roost. Females are much duller with an almost striped chest. This one was feeding on "Old Mans Beard" Clematis vitalba. As well as the Cirl Buntings I took photos of Purple Sandpipers feeding in the Breakwater at Brixham and I will post photos of that species in my next post.

Goldfinch-Carduelus carduelus

Just to keep up to date there hasn't been much opportunity to take photos today but there was a tiny window of bright light at around lunch time. from the pop-up hide I snapped away at the Goldfinch visitors and I quite liked this one. This bird is almost certainly a female. You can tell this by the amount of red on the face and also the buffish, not white feathers. No Siskins seen today in the garden but the Hen Blackcap has been here almost all day off and on. We had a Blue Tit come to feed, they are not nearly as common in my garden as you would think and we haven't had a Coal Tit for what seems ages. You may remember that they were constant visitors up until around Christmas time. The Robin that we ringed at our ringing session a few Sundays ago is still in the garden. I clearly saw the ring which was placed on the left leg, they normally are on the right but by being different this would give me the chance to identify him/her as "my" bird. With very low mizzly cloud.. that's a cross between mist and drizzle .... if you were wondering, there has been little point in taking the camera out. I went for a little drive though to see if the Scaup female was on the canal but no sign of her now so I guess she has moved on. The Cattle Egrets were in the distance at Powderham, at least 200 hundred yards away and I was surprised when I drove past to see three or four birdwatchers scoping them. But hey, not much else to look it in these very, very overcast conditions. I had a quick look in the river by Salmon Pool Weir to see if there was anything interesting and disturbed a Grey Heron so that could be a good place to sit in the hide and and get some close-up fishing shots possibly. I also saw another large flock of Fieldfare in the back lanes. All in all a pretty awful dreary day

Monday Musings.

It was Saturday evening and  a knock at the door when answered revealed a neighbour with yet another box! As is usual with this kind of thing it contained a seriously injured bird, this time a Blackbird. I didn't need an explanation but one was delivered anyway. She explained to me that it had been taken from the jaws of the cat that lives at No 19. I happen to know that this cat in the last few months has been responsible for the death of a Collared Dove, a Sparrow and now this Blackbird was going to be it's next victim. I have to ask this question. If you know that you own a cat that is constantly catching and killing birds then why don't you keep it in. That might at first seem cruel but then if you had watched the Blackbird, which of course died before the night was out, suffer with holes in it's back made by cat fangs and a hopelessly broken wing as well as a pierced eyeball, then that is cruelty beyond explanation.  I feel that the time has come when owners of cats who knowingly allow them to kill garden birds should be prosecuted under the Wildlife and Countryside act which states that it is against the law to harass or harm wild birds. When will this persecution of our native birdlife be stopped?

As it happens the Blackbird was the one that has been in my garden and surrounding area for the last few weeks and the garden today was a less beautiful place without him in it!

A magical scene greeted me earlier on this morning when the female Blackcap, not seen for a few day, was on the bird table feeding on a fat ball. Two male Siskin wanted to have a look to see if there was anything for them. The Blackcap aggressively defended her breakfast and drove the two Siskins off who never the less stayed close to the table waiting for an opportunity. All three were very attractive and beautiful birds and it really was a treat to see them from the warmth and comfort of my kitchen window. My friend Gill came for coffee this morning and as we chatted she mentioned that there were some interesting ducks near to her house close to the edge of the City and the main Railway Station. There is a flood relief system and she described what sounded like Tufted Ducks. I had a trip out there and didn't see any interesting ducks but spotted a Litte Grebe. It was working alongside, and close to the bank on the River Exe in one of the busiest parts of the City only yards from a main road and the main railway station. Also there, as usual were a few Cormorant and of course the immature gull above.

Siskin portrait again

I hope you like this one? I had been trying all day to catch the male Siskin in just the correct pose and doing something interesting, every time Siskins came on to the feeders the sun went in and it just wasn't happening, then at around 2.30 with the sun disappearing rapidly behind the house we were left with a bit of a dull scene. Then he came down and I adjusted the camera to get this shot and I have to say that I am really thrilled with it, one of the best I hope you agree with me.

Siskin portraits

I like to post the very best photographs that I can and I have been trying on and off to get good shots of my Siskin visitors. If you are from the USA you will know this bird as the Pine Siskin. Males are more yellow with a black cap and females a little more drab but with hints of yellow in the plumage. I have brought some Larch cones in to the garden to act as "photographic props" and I was pleased to see that the female Siskin recognised them as a food source and immediately started to pick out the seeds. I was only around 2 mtrs from her in my pop-up seat hide. In between the showers the sun flooded on to her and I gat a great shot of her feeding. I really am so pleased with this shot because I had set the camera quite differently than normal. I chose a very large f stop and then adjusting the compensation to try and get the best depth of field possible, hopefully this would give really sharp definition and with good bright light as well, this is what I have achieved. After a few minutes, as a goldfinch dominated the feeder, a male Siskin came to try and get his share and as he surveyed the scene, again in strong light he posed nicely on the lichen covered perch. I spent quite a big part of my day doing office work but at around 3 o'clock, with the sun still shining, I dressed up, climbed on the Chinese Bike and went out to Powderham to see if the Cattle Egrets were in amongst the sheep as on previous days. I thought that even if they were absent at least the Little Egrets would be there feeding amongst the mud. The light in the late afternoon is always nice and I was hoping that it was bright enough to get some crisp shots of either species. The Cattle Egrets were in the field in the distance amongst the cows so no chance of them today but the sheep field was full of little Egrets. The light had an orangey glow and picked out the Egrets really nicely but there was only a small "window" when it was all going to come together. That is Little Egrets close enought to me with the sun still high enough to cast some strong light. I managed to get almost the shot I wanted but never the less it was interesting watching the Egrets feed. The sheep were also very interesting and one young ram took exception to what he saw in a paddle and believe it or not was trying to butt his reflection which was a great photo opportunity that I missed! Anyway here is the Little Egret. It is a very muddy field and full of worms which is the attraction for the Egrets who obviously are opportunistic feeders. It was high tide at the time and these Egrets would normally be feeding on the foreshore in the mud there if it were low tide.

Siskin - Carduelis spinus in the garden January 2005

Eventually the sun came out and in the brightness I managed to get a good shot of a female Siskin from the comfort of my pop-up hide with the light in the right direction. They absolutely adore Sunflower hearts and my advice to anyone wanting to attract siskins in to the garden would be to offer them. They will eat Niger and other seeds but will always prefer sunflower hearts of offered a choice.

Siskin - Carduelis spinus in the garden January 2005

I have to say that yesterday's sighting and photographs of the Bittern was a real red letter day for me. I was thrilled to see it in such bright sunny conditions and can't believe my luck on not only one but two separate occasions. Getting a series of photographs as a record for myself and also for the bird-watching community at large is particularly pleasing. Today was a garden day, the weather has not been the best therefore I have remained close to my home apart from a trip out this morning to a friend who has an absolutely beautiful house with a beautiful garden to match and some beautiful bird visitors to his feeders. I have been invited to go and take some photos and will do that the next time we have a bright day. The Nuthatches will make good subjects. My own garden has been a busy one with the Siskins and Goldfinches being very active. There were at least 4 Siskin today which is the most at one time. No Greenfinches though so probably the recent disease has affected them more than was first thought. Just worth mentioning that we had 5 House Sparrows around this morning which is a   

nice number compared to the usual 3.

We had a couple of male Siskin feeding together which is the first time that we have had more than 1 at a time.

Bittern - Botaurus stellaris, Exminster Marsh Devon

This afternoon I was fortunate enough to stumble upon the Bittern yet again, this time I had my camera ready and I managed a few shots of it as it took to the air in front of me and headed towards the M5. The sighting was quite coincidental as it turned out. I had been pleased over the last few days to note that others had reported seeing a Bittern on the marsh in a way confirming my own sighting on the 7th January. I called in at the RSPB office for a chat with AJ, the warden and he let me know that he had been lucky enough to see it himself only yesterday. So, with that I was relatively content and pleased that my own sighting had been confirmed. We joked that it would be nice to get a photo but thought it unlikely. It really is wet out there on the marsh and as I made my way across the public path over the "bridges" I was about to call it a day in case I should get a boot full of icy cold water. Then an unusually large flock of Black Tailed Godwit flew in front of me at quite a distance.I noted where they had landed and thought that I would go towards them, still on the footpath in their direction. Birdwatching is quite often about being in the right place at the right time and at no time had the idea of seeing a Bitern crossed my mind. Now, Snipe......... that was a totally different proposition and I lingered several times scanning the pools and scrapes for a Snipe to photograph. So now I am on the move slowly and quietly, dressed in my sombre camo gear with camera at the ready I scan ahead still moving for Snipe. Suddenly ahead of me about 30 yards a Bittern irrupted into the air and flew from my right straight in front of me and then to my left. After the momentary shock, identification and then realisation that my camera was "cocked" so to speak, I started firing off shots at it. The first 2 were just a blur and then I was aware that the camera had locked on and I took another 10 or so as it continued to what it considered a safe distance. As it it came down the M5 Motorway appeared in the viewfinder as I followed, snapping away. It settled in a reed bed a couple of hundred yards to my left. I have to say that it was an exhilarating few seconds and as I looked at the preview on the camera to check the images taken I was thrilled to see that there had been success. Whats the fuss you may be askin? Well this Bittern is the first seen in Devon since 2007, and according to a little bit of research it looks as though Bitern have been recorded in Devon at only 5 other sights. Stover Park appears to have had a regular bird present from 2002 until 2007. There was one at Totnes in 2002 and in 2003 Bitern were sighted at Braunton and West Charleton. My photographs look like they are the first published on the internet since the Slapton Bird was submited to Bird Guides in 2002. I feel extremely luckt to be able to add Bittern to my list of Devon Birds complete with a photo!

Cattle Egret-Egretta garzetta in Devon

This time last year we were visited locally by a rare heron for the the UK. Cattle Egrets are the latest species thought to be on the verge of colonising. There were relatively frequent reports of sighting in the South West all through last winter and a pair remained to breed in the county of Somerset for the first time in the UK. There had been a few reports of a pair around our local vicinity for a few weeks and I knew that eventually I would get a good close look at them and of course get a good photo opportunity. At around 3 this afternoon the torrential rain abated and we went out to the church yard at Powderham where there were reports of a couple in a sheep field adjacent. I knew exactly where to look and knew that if they were still there I would get chance to see them well and get a good photo or two. In fact there are now 3 present and they are feeding amongst a flock of sheep with a dozen or so Little Egret, always very common here. They were feeding earth worms or so it appeared. I have to say that the light was not particularly good and they were of course reasonably wary of my presence and it was very chilly in the late afternoon wind! I used the sheep as cover almost, and standing quite still apart from clicking the shutter, they got engrossed in their feeding and got a bit closer now and then. Pretty lovely sheep as well!! By the way, for those not too familiar with photographic technicalities. The grainy images are due to having to shoot at a highISO, 1600 in fact.

Robin-Erithacus rubecula

Yesterday was a right off as far as my blog is concerned, but today a surprise blue sky and bright light was perfect to pursue the Hawfinch and get the photo I am looking for. I stood for an hour, and apart from a bird that a fellow bird watcher was convinced was a Hawfinch ... I wasn't ....... there was no sign. My feet were getting colder by the minute and even though it was still bright, a dark cloud was on it's way. Every time I have been stood waiting for the Hawfinch to appear I have been joined by this same Robin who has come to see if I had anything to offer. Today I took this photo of him, too good an opportunity to pass up. This one is a bit on the scruffy side and it looks as though he has been struggling to find enough to eat judging by his muddy beak. This will explain why he was checking me out. In the UK they are the nations favourite bird and recognisable by everyone, young and old. They are loved but taken for granted. By now the cloud was getting nearer and my feet were getting colder, so off I went back on the Chinese Bike through the lanes towards home. I passed through the same vast flock of Fieldfare seen on Friday. There are some portable Chicken enclosures and free range fowl roaming in the fields so I guess this is a likely food source to any opportunistic wild birds. I had a look to see if I could work out a plan to put up my pop-up hide and get close to them. I am pretty confident that this is going to be feasible. There seems to be a tree that they favour which looks a good place to place the hide near. I really do like Fieldfare but they are quite hard to approach. Their plumage is very smart and both sexes are similar. There was also a Mistle Thrush or two which could also be good to get a picture of and a Common Buzzard was hovering around which I am sure the chicken farmer is not happy about. A chicen, dead or alive would be a good meal for a Buzzard.

Looking for Hawfinch

I had two attempts today to find a Hawfinch close enough for a photo. The morning started with some good bright sun which obviously wasn't forecast, as I said yesterday it would be great if the national Met Office situated in our city could get somewhere near to an accurate prediction of the weather. I travelled just the short distance to Ide where I had seen a Hawfinch yesterday. Here is a Map of the exact location.

Hawfinch around this paddock, shown as a green area on the "live-map".Live Search Maps   When you get to the live map the birds were seen roughly at the pin mark 2. To get back to this page press return on your browser. Apart from one very quick glimpse of a bird which I think was my quarry, I didn't have any success today and the suspect bird moved on before I could confirm. On the way back to home through the back lanes I encountered a very large flock of at least 200 Fieldfare . 

I took this photo in the Autumn, it shows a Fildfare feeding on Hawthorn Berries. Fiedfare are members of the Thrush family "turdus", this is the same family that the American Robin belongs and my American readers will no doubt recognise some similarity in shape and size. They breed in Northern parts of continental Europe and are more common in the UK in severe Northern winters.

I tried again late afternoon but again no luck but it was nice to be out on the Chinese Bike exploring the local lanes. I really have not done enough of that over the years.

Penduline Tit - Remiz pendulinus and Hawfinch - Coccothraustes coccothraustes

So today has been one of those "in other parts of Devon" days. Firstly this morning I travelled just a mile or so to the little village of Ide pronounced "eede". There was a very specific report yesterday of a Hawfinch being seen again This is Britain's largest, and probably rarest finch and it/they had been seen on the edge of the village. I would certainly never classify myself as a "twitcher" that is a person who just collects sightings to complete a list, but I have never seen a Hawfinch before and, well ....... I was excited at the thought of seeing one, so off I went. Well, at first there was absolutely no sign of any Hawfinch, a bit like looking for the proverbial needle, but it was pleasant and the forecasted rain hadn't arrived ......(dam you Met Office) .... They are situated in Exeter but so rarely get the forecast correct. I hope they get wet and cold when they get it wrong which they almost always do!!! After a short time a very pleasant man stopped to ask if there was any sight of it and said that he thought I was probably in the wrong place. So I bowed to his better knowledge and followed to West End Farm, well lets get on to the point. As usual he was the kind of Bird Watcher who could see a bird at half a mile and tell you what it had for dinner, glad I met him because we found it after a little bit of patience. It wqs in fact amongst a flock of Greenfinch and I got a great look at it when it flew down to an area where there was a few seeding Sycamore trees. My guess was that was it's food source and attraction to the area. Hawfinch are "sight specific" so I am sure that further visits to the same clump of trees will reward me with much better sightings and perhaps a photo opportunity. So thanks to you if you are reading this I would not have seen it without your help. So now on to the Penduline Tit, a very rare bird for Devon and the UK. This bird had been seen on ponds at Goodrington near to the South Devon town of Paignton and again I thought that it was too good a bird to miss. So again denying any accusation of being a "twitcher" I got in to the car and made the 18 mile journey. As soon as I arrived I felt slightly embarrassed when confronted by the local "Bif" who asked if I was a birdwatcher, I told him no, I always walk past the local playing fields with my camera on a tripod. He was even more "damaged" than I though and believed me. I followed a trail of well equipped middle age men who's centre of attention was the middle lake and more specifically a reed bed in front 30 yards or so. Swinging dangerously from stem to stem was one of the most delightful little birds I have seen. The light was poor, the distance was too great and the movement of the bird conspired against me and all the other people who haven't got anything else better to do on a damp January Thursday. It never ceases to amaze me how snooty and stuck-up some people are when I am in these 'group situations" and to be honest it detracts from any real pleasure. I was stood next to a couple of younger blokes who obviously thought they were very knowledgeable and far too intelligent and informed to even point out the bird to me. They were chatting about how clever they were actually and treated my presence with the disdain that they they thought I deserved. Stil that's life. I tell the tale though just to illustrate though how totally different my encounters were today. This morning I met a smashing very knowledgeable bloke who's help was invaluable and this afternoon several rude, ignorant snobs. Oh and eventually it rained so I do hope they got wet!

Siskin - Carduelis spinus in the garden

I hadn't managed a decent image of a male Siskin yet but when I went out in to the garden this morning there were several in the old apple tree chattering away very loudly. In fact there was so much noise I went inside to grab some binoculars to have a look at what was making all the commotion. A quick look revealed a largish "charm" of Goldfinch and Siskin. We had already had a lone long Tailed Tit which is unusual and there had been the usual Blackcap, this time the hen. I grabbed my camera and headed down into the lower hide to see if I could get a decent shot. It wasn't long before one of the males came onto the sunflower hearts and I took the opportunity to take his picture. They are very active on the feeder and it wasn't as easy as you might think to get a good sharp image with all the usual problems being confronted. Again light wasn't too bad but I could have done with a much higher shutter speed to try and freeze the action. Then of course when you focus in close like this you have "depth of field" issues. But I like the shot above as it is a little bit unusual with him stretching his body like he is. The one below is a more familiar pose. Thanks Johnathan (Roscoe) who took the time to e-mail me to say how much he liked yesterday's Scaup photos. It is very nice to have positive and pleasant contact with people who like my images. Cheers........ as we say in the UK. Incidentally 39 different countries have visited the blog in the past month or so which I think is absolutely amazing and most unexpected. I had no idea that so many people from all over the world were looking at my blog.

Scaup - Aythya marila Exeter Ship Canal Tuesday

Another visit to the canal this morning gave me the opportunity, with some sun to try and get a better photo of the Scaup duck. She was in exactly the same spot as yesterday and posed for ages as I tried to get a decent shot of her. It was fascinating to watch her dive. I studied her behaviour and noticed that the indication that she was about to submerge was a noticeable "sinking" of the body prior to making the plunge. This didn't appear to be caused by the movement of her legs but as though she was expelling air from her body or perhaps tightening the feathers and making the body less buoyant to enable her stay submerged with less effort. Whatever the cause was, it certainly was very obvious and a sure sign that she was about to dive. I am sure that this behaviour has been noticed by others before me and studied. I would be grateful if anyone can enlighten me as to what is actually going on. I took at least 20 photos of her just as she dived and found it nigh on impossible to capture the precise moment as the head touched the water just as she dived in. Probably because this is such a very quick act and takes literally split seconds. But I almost achieved it. I think I have around 20 photos like this almost identical. My reactions were just not quick enough.

Scaup - Aythya marila Exeter Ship Canal

The Scaup is Britain's rarest breeding duck according to the RSPB. I had heard reports that a duck .... as opposed to a drake........ Scaup was on the local canal just literally down the road from my house so as soon as we had a break in the rainy weather I went down to have a look. It never ceases to amaze how easy it is to bump in to theses rare birds. When they are in an unusual area which they invariable are then they are easy to find. This one was behaving like ducks do and was paddling around very close to the pub garden all on her own and taking very little notice of anything going on. It did however draw the line at the canoeists that paddled by but apart from that seemed untroubled by anything. In this photo she was having a bit of trouble working out which was ice and which was water.

Garden Ringing Session

Today has been an interesting one for me as far as my garden birds are concerned. I am undergoing pre-training prior to commencing my formal training to become a licensed ringer under the auspices of the British Trust for Ornithology. This will enable me to capture and ring the bird visitors to my garden. I may be able to study the movements of the birds that enter my garden by recapture in subsequent years by myself or other ringers in other parts of Europe and the UK. Their movements can then be recorded and measured. This morning's weather was unfortunately bad for capture with strong winds in the garden. Strong wind makes the net more noticeable to the birds when it flutters and blows around. Having said that, a net was placed in position and there appeared to be a good chance of some birds being caught. At one time a dozen or so Goldfinch were in the garden, a few Greenfinch and Siskins. Disappointingly they all avoided capture! Success came in the form of an adult Robin which I ringed under the watchful eye of Dr Ian, my mentor and trainer. Then after a couple of hours with the net blowing around even more noticeably a Blue Tit was fooled and became my second ringed bird. Blue Tits are such a feisty and belligerent little bird and throughout the process pecked incessantly at my fingers........ that's fair enough if you ask me! The Blue Tit turned out to be a male and was a 2008 year bird. Ian is a very knowledgeable ornithologist who can tell the age and sex of most species by subtle variations of plumage and feather shape. This knowledge is being passed on to me and I am therefore increasing my own knowledge of birds immensely. The photo above shows another Blue Tit taken during the week. I have posted it because people have commented on the use of Apple in my garden and I thought it might be interesting to see this Tit enjoying the Apple so much.

Siskin - Carduelis spinus

Just a little photo of the female Siskin in my garden today, these are almost daily visitors now. She was feeding on the niger which is only 3 feet from the kitchen window and this photograph was taken hand held through a double glazed window! Yesterday I placed slices of apple and cotoneaster berry laden branches in to the apple tree. The Blackcaps have certainly enjoyed them and have been feeding constantly.

Bittern - Botaurus stellaris, Exminster Marsh Devon

Already in the overcast but very cold day for us in the UK (-3 degrees Celsius). There has been lots of bird activity. Blackcaps of both sexes, Blue Tits, Coal Tits, Robins, Blackbirds, Wood Pigeon, Collared Doves, Dunnocks, Goldfinches, Greenfinch, Chaffinch, House Sparrow, Goldcrest and Siskins of both sexes. There has been sightings of Waxwings in the area, in fact as the "Waxwing flies" only 500 mtrs from the garden.I have wired some berry laden branches in to the apple tree in the hope of attracting them in to the tree. This is a very long shot but who knows! This would be not only a first for the garden but a lifetime first for me..... fingers crossed! This afternoon I travelled the short distance out to Exminster Marsh. I was hoping to get some pictures of a Water Rail, I caught glimpses of them yesterday and heard them a few times as well. Si standing stock still because I had heard one nearby a Buzzard came as close to me as it dare. A Moorhen was struggling with the ice and seemed to be almost trapped. This definitely attracted the attentions of the Buzzard and I think had I not been so close he would have made his move. I took photos of him but then a momentous thing happened. deciding that enough was enough I made my way back to the car very nearby and parked next to a reed bed. As I opened the boot there was an almighty comotion right next to me and a largish brown striped "heron-like" bird took to the air. I clearly saw my very first Bittern. I was staggered and watched it through my binos disappear into the read bed about 100 yards over the field. I immediately got into the car and reported the sighting to AJ the warden in the RSPB office. He told me that it was only the second sighting in 10 years and last time it had been seen in the same area.

Stonechat - Saxicola torquata

Stonechts are still at Exminster Marsh. This male was more interested in finding food than my presence infact I think he saw me as perhaps a food source and at one time was just a metre from me. The light was very harsh and these shots reflect that. This is a Greenshank seen feeding in Cockwood Harbour along with Redshank, Black tailed Godwit, Dunlin and Curlew. The RSPB Web Site tells me that there are just 701 over-wintering Greenshank in the UK. Can that be correct? First of all 701......... how do they arrive at these rather exact figures, as it's a bird I see constantly here in Devon, well I think they should look a bit harder and count more accurately.

Black Redstart - Phoenicurus ochruros. Beer, Devon

A short break in the cloud gave me the opportunity to go back to the little seaside town of Beer. I hoped to get a better photo of the Black Redstart seen on Friday and also I had heard reports of a male. It was a little more difficult to find the bird on this trip but eventually I tracked it down to a little park just above the bay. The sun was by now very bright and from the right direction and the bird posed well. Still no sign of a male. As I sat waiting I had a really good chance to take some shots of this Rock Pipit which was showing really well. It perched on the winch housing on ly a few feet from us. As we sat there this White/Pied Wagtail - Motacilla alba (or Motacilla yarellii) came very close as well. This looks like the more rarely seen White Wagtail, the continental variety and not the usual pied Wagtail but I will need to do a bit of research to check this out.

Siskin - Carduelis spinus

The first thing that I saw this morning was a nice little male Siskin on the sunflower feeder. I took a few photos, the light was dull and I am therefore very pleased that I could get a photo good enough to post. We had the usual flock of Goldfinches and a female Blackcap but it was a dull day with not a lot of potential as far as photos are concerned. Later on in the day on a walk along the local Exeter Ship Canal a few birds were seen including a small group of five Little Grebe but by now it was almost dark. I thought that it was worth posting this photo taken yesterday of a Moorhen walking on the ice close to the Mandarin Drake. I always think that when you get chance to study them they are much more attractive and nice than you think.

Mandarin Drake - Aix galericulata Grand Western Canal Tiverton

My day has been a very full and fruitful one. Temperatures have not risen above freezing but we have had a bright, clear, blue sunny sky all day long. My morning was taken up with my preparation to begin my ringing training under the auspices of the British Trust for Ornithology. I have attended 4 sessions so far. I will begin training to obtain a license to net and ring the birds that visit the garden. This, along with the data collected, will enable me to completely survey the bird life in the garden and their comings and goings. I will be able to, for example study individual birds and discover if the Blackcaps that we have this year have returned and are the same ones we have had in a previous years. Today's session was not particularly fruitful but was interesting never the less. Back home by lunchtime and with the weather still beautifully bright we went to the Great Western Canal at Halberton, Mid-Devon. I had read that there is a Drake Mandarin Duck on the canal amongst the Mallards. A little bit of searching proved very fruitful and we found him with very little difficulty. He was a gorgeous little bird, very feisty and active but not in the least bit scared of human presence. There are, according to the RSPB 7.000 breeding pairs of this oriental/Chinese bird which originally escaped from Water Fowl collections up and down the country. I have never seen one befor in the "wild" so it was a nice sight but I have to say that it is probably a recently escaped bird from a collection nearby because of it's lack of fear of man. As you can see he is pretty smart, ridiculously ornamental don't you think? From time to time he would come out of the water and waddle around with the Mallard on the ice giving me some really good photo opportunities. He could really hold his own with the other ducks and was not in the least bit scared to offer them the side of his beak!

Black Redstart - Phoenicurus ochruros. Beer, Devon

The New Year has got off to a great start for me and my Bird Watching and photography obsession. Today was bright and I knew it was going to be a successful one with the camera. But suddenly birds in the garden were scarce! What was that all about? But never the less I sat in the garden hide and waited for some arrivals ............ but wait, first let me tell you about the bird pictured above. Having got just a tiny bit bored with endless Goldfinch photos and the usual garden visitors I suggested to my lovely wife that she might like a run out to the little East Devon town of Sidmouth or perhaps even Beer. She knew that there was a motive, there always is and asked what bird we were off to see. At Sidmouth there had been reports of Purple Sandpiper on and off for a while and I thought I might be able to get a nice shot. Then if that failed, we could travel a bit further, 6 miles or so, to Beer. There had been Black Redstart mentioned there and even if there was no sign it is a glorious little place. So Beer was decided on. We parked with no difficulty and strolled down the inclined road which ends on the beach amongst the boat-winches, old crab pots, trailers and fishing paraphernalia. I couldn't believe my eyes when the "sparrow" flitting around in front of us, flying from winch housing to crab pot was infact a Black Redstart. It was a smashing little bird, a female, so perhaps not as dapper as the more distinctly marked male but, well what did I expect. It was amazing to me how Joe public took absolutely no notice of the bird, or me for that matter as I snapped away. The bird thankfully was not particularly interested in the public either but I suppose that was due to it's almost frantic search for food which can't be easy if you are an insect eater and the insects have long gone! As I watched her with the sun almost gone behind the headland cliff it became apparent that the little bird had a little territory to patrol and was choosing to perch in the same spots as it went back and forth in front of me. Her favourite perch seemed to be the rubber tyre bits stacked with some old pots in a great photogenic spot. I focused the camera on the spot and waited for her to repeatedly pop in to view which she did with regularity. The light was going though so note to myself, try to get there earlier in the day in the future!

From time to time the local Robin took quite an exception to her and proceeded to harass her but she stood her ground! I was distracted by a nice little Wren at one point and then a Rock Pipit tempted me but I resisted.

I notice that there are reports of other Black redstarts in the same location including a male so next week when everyone has gone back to work, and if we have a bright day I will go back to see if I can see and photograph him. A few little things about Black Redstarts if you haven't seen one in the flesh so to speak. The ones I have seen have always been very close to human habitation, quite why that should be I am not sure. There are only 50 or so breeding pairs in the UK and 500 are said to spend the winter with us. They are a tiny bit smaller than the Robin but the silhouette to my mind is almost identical. This bird was particularly silent. The redish tail and rump was not really noticeable until you had a look through glasses. Just about everyone that walked past the bird was totally oblivious of it being something special and even the odd few people that took an interest did not, or had not recognised it as anything unusual. This goes to prove how easy this bird would be to overlook. So back to this morning........ A nice Long Tail Tit arrived unannounced on to the feeder. Any other day and this would have been the highlight as I have been waiting for at least 2 months to get a good clear shot of this very bird. I can recognise it from the ring.

New Years Day Garden Birds

A very Happy New Year to everyone all around the world. If you are from one of the 28 countries that have visited the Blog in the last three weeks then may I wish you especially warm greetings for a prosperous and peaceful new year. In the Northern Hemisphere we are in the midst of winter and in the UK under a blanket of cloud kept in place by a high pressure weather system. In some circumstances that would be great but not at this time of the year when cold air from continental Europe is sucked under the cloud by the light prevailing winds. Any heat loss due to the long cold nights is then unable to be replaced by warmer air during the day and the consequence is progressively colder days. Weather lesson over......... it means that birds are less able to find food naturally and are therefore more reliant on garden feeders. This is good for people wanting to see the bird activity in the garden, armchair bird watching is fun. But not good to capture on camera. Light is low and this is usually very important, particular in bird photography. I thought though, that this photo has captured the spirit of the conditions really well.

Collared Doves are a feature of my little garden but only once have I ever had a chance to photograph them on the ground and today was that day. They were so wary however and left as soon as the camera lens closed!!!!!